Are you a serious crafter who wants to increase your craft sales? There's a growing trend that may affect your craft business. It seems that more and more people want to know the origins of the items they buy and want to feel some sense of "connectedness" to them. For example, in the food industry, people want to know where they egg they're eating came from and whether the farm that produced the egg treats its animals humanely. Some companies are even starting to place stickers on food items identifying the farm its philosophy. Consumers appreciate it and are responding by giving these companies business.

How might this effect your craft business?

It provides a great opportunity for you to distinguish your craft business by really connecting with your customer. Customers want to feel a sense of connectedness with you in some small way before they make a purchase. A large company that has the right idea is Dole Organics. They will be attaching a sticker to each piece of fruit they sell with a farm code on it. By visiting their website and typing in this number, the consumer can read background information about the piece of fruit they purchased and see pictures of the farm where it came from.

How can you use this principle in your craft business?

One of the best ways is to print up a card that describes how you design and create your craft. Include information such as where you get your craft design inspiration, descriptions of your materials, and what distinguishes your line from mass produced crafts. When you exhibit your line at boutiques and galleries, make sure the galleries have these cards on display next your craft designs. Also display your cards at every craft show you attend. You might also consider making a video showing the process you use to create your crafts. You could play the video in your craft booth at shows. Your craft video would be an excellent traffic builder! Be sure to place a copy of your craft video on your website. Your website gives you a great opportunity to talk and write about your jewelry design philosophy and the meaning behind your craft pieces.

When you doing this, you're also accomplishing another important craft marketing function. You're building your brand. You're effectively reinforcing in your customer's mind the name of your business and what your craft line represents. They'll remember you the next time they see your craft line at a show and will hopefully, have a positive impression about your craft business and what it represents. Make sure that all of your marketing materials are consistent with the message you're trying to send.

By connecting with your customers through your marketing materials and direct interaction with them, you can greatly increase the value of your brand as well as boost your craft sales. Give it a try!